Demetrius Mirabal, who owns Escape Your Body float center at 2508 First Place, says he is offering people an alternative to the effort it takes to obtain relaxation through yoga and meditation or by taking medications to relieve physical pain and stress.

It may sound a bit like science fiction, but float tank therapy and its health benefits have been researched and documented since the 1950s.

John C. Lilly, a neuro-psychiatrist, developed the process in 1954, and research in the U.S. and Sweden suggest positive effects of stress reduction and pain relief.

“It is a healing state, like being back in the womb,” says Mirabal. “In the tank, you don’t have to work at getting your body under control with deep breathing, and you get your body out of the way by getting rid of all the sensory you are usually bombarded with, including your body, which is a distraction itself — like when your back hurts or something itches.”

He also says research shows two hours in the tank are as restful as eight hours of sleep, and a float decreases athletic injury or soreness recovery time, strengthens the immune system, increases circulation, relieves body fatigue and back strain in pregnant women, and provides pain relief for chronic ailments, such as multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia and arthritis.

Many of the benefits are thought to be due to the high levels of magnesium in the Epsom salts — absorbed through the skin while floating.

Young Chun, an industrial engineering graduate student at Texas Tech, is a regular client.

“As a grad student, I stress out a lot, and in the tank I feel relaxed and mentally cleared,” Chun says.

Mirabal adds, “Psychology is geared toward health, and you have to give yourself space to get to that place. With the tank, you can shut out the world, allowing for healing and introspection and give yourself time to resolve conflicts.” F